1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for conveying bulk products, such as farm produce. More particularly, the present invention relates to an articulated discharge end for a conveyor that minimizes and stabilizes the drop distance of bulk products off the discharge end.
2. Related Art
Filers are used to move and pile products that are stored in bulk. They typically have an elevating conveyor (elevator) that feeds or drops product into a piling conveyor (boom). The discharge area of the elevator is sometimes referred to as the “tip-down,” and can include a downwardly oriented section of the conveyor belt upon which the product is directed toward a hopper at the supply end of the boom.
To facilitate piling products, the boom can move up and down and side-to-side. In the process of discharging product from the elevator into the hopper, the product drops some distance from the discharge end to the hopper, and this distance can vary depending on the orientation of the boom. For some products, such as potatoes or other agricultural produce, a greater drop distance can lead to bruising or other undesirable effects. Consequently, it is desirable to minimize the drop distance for many types of products when transferring from one conveyor to another.
Typical discharge ends for elevators and the like are either fixed in their position, or have a mechanical up and down adjustment that allows them to be moved and fixed in various desired positions, but does not allow adjustment during operation. However, the boom can pivot up and down and swing side-to-side while piling product in storage or on the ground. As the boom moves during the piling process the drop from the discharge end to the hopper can change constantly, which increases the chance of damaging the product. Furthermore, when the boom swings to one side, this can result in a drop distance that varies from side-to-side across the discharge end, depending on the combination of vertical and horizontal angles of the boom.